Crab Clan

The Defenders

Staunch defenders of the great Kaiu Wall, ever vigilant against attacks from the Shadowlands, the samurai of the Crab clan are Rokugan's greatest defense against any external threat . Theirs is a grim existence, and the Crabs see little time in life for the courtly activities so enjoyed by other samurai-arts, diplomacy, etiquette, and the like . The other clans view the Crabs as crude, unwashed brutes, and that stereotype is often close to the truth. But few other samurai in Rokugan would accept the responsibility that the Crabs shoulder: to fight off the fearsome goblins, ogres, and oni of the Shadowlands, preventing them from overrunning the empire.

RECENT HISTORY

During the Spirit Wars, the Crab lands were ravaged by the spirit armies of Hantei XVI and his general, a ferocious Crab named Hida Tsuneo. The Crab champion, Hida O-Ushi, lost her husband on the field of battle, but her two sons, Kuon and Kuroda, remain.

Toward the end of the Spirit Wars, a new twist of events sent the Crab clan into war: the death of Yasuki Taka, daimyo of the Yasuki family, with no heir. The scholars ofthe Seppun family searched their records and located the nearest relative of the late Taka : Daidoji Hachi. Hachi's attempt to claim the lands he considers his have launched the Crabs

CRAB LANDS

The Crab lands are bitter and dark. On most days, clouds and smoke obscure all but a thin shred of sunlight. Most of the Crab lands are high, rocky mountains where little grows, although the Yasuki lands to the east are the notable exception. The Hidas control most of the land between the Twilight Mountains and Earthquake Fish Bay, as well as the mines and plantations in the foothills. The Kaius control most of the mountains, and most of their settlements are adjacent to the Wall. The Yasuki maintain the mercantile areas around the bay, and the Kuni seem content with their blackened wasteland. Some Hirumas stay in Shiro Hiruma, constantly on guard against Shadowlands assaults, while most live in or near the city of Maemikake.